Review: Nikon P500

Nikon P500 DSLR camera

 Prosumer cameras are a good alternative to photographers who either cannot afford or don't want the complexity of a DSLR. Not only do you get a larger optical zoom and better photo quality than a normal
point and shoot, but you also get manual controls to experiment with various settings.

The P500 is Nikon's top—of—the—line prosumer camera available in a glossy dark red or black finish. It has a backside illuminated 12MP CMOS sensor with a whopping 36X optical zoom.

The camera features EXPEED C2 dual image processors and image sensor shift type of image stabilisation combined with electronic vibration reduction. The P500 certainly looks striking in the red finish with rubber grip inserts in black. However, the glossy paint finish might look bad if it wears off due to wear and tear, which seems likely.

The back is dominated by a 3—inch LCD that can be tilted up or down making it easier to shoot from high or low angles. In what seems like an oversight, there is no proximity sensor to shut off the LCD automatically when using the viewfinder; instead there is a dedicated button to switch between the two.

A nice feature, which other prosumer cameras do not have, is a one touch video record button with a simple dial for quick selection between High Definition and High speed video shooting. Right next to it is the rocker switch to adjust settings much like Nikon DSLRs.

The top has the mode selection dial, power button and a shoot mode selection button placed neatly with the shutter button with zoom rocker. Interestingly, the camera has a rocker switch on the left side of the lens barrel, which can be setup for various functions from the menu. On the side are the mini HDMI and proprietary data connectivity port.

The camera's user interface is simple to understand and easy to adjust as well. Thanks to the back—illuminated CMOS sensor, image quality is simply outstanding. You get rich colors with excellent details even in low light shots. What is a bit frustrating is that for the most basic functions like ISO settings or focus selection, you need to go through the menu to set them.

And this could be a deal—breaker for many, but the P500 does not offer the option of saving images in RAW. In terms of video recording, the P500 offers full HD 1080p resolution at 30fps or high speed with maximum of 240fps (320 x 240 resolution ). While the video quality is great most of the time, in low light conditions there is sometimes a visible flicker.

And though it allows zooming while recording video, the noise created by the zoom motor also gets recorded. The battery lasted for just over 400 shots, which is remarkable. For the most part, the low light performance on the P500 matches the entry level DSLRs, and you get the advantage of the 36X optical zoom and video.

However, Nikon has cut costs with a few features like ISO adjustments, RAW format and proximity sensor, which is disappointing. Overall, the Nikon P500 is a good prosumer camera , but it could have been great.